For
children of the '60s, environmental issues remain high on our
list of priorities. We all took the required earth sciences classes,
though some of us did so to satisfy science coursework requirements
while avoiding the more difficult (and early morning) labs. The
environment remains a concern to baby boomers who now focus on
prospects for the future and the kind of world that they will
leave to their children. Today, for instance, nothing could be
more on the minds of parents in lower Manhattan than the quality
of indoor air in the elementary schools near Ground Zero.

Environmental
issues play a huge role in politics, both on the national scale
(e.g., Ralph Nader's bid for the presidency) and local (e.g.,
the siting of incinerators in lower-income communities). This
article and its follow-up will focus on sources of information
dealing with the issues that are most pressing to researchers:


What we are doing to our air and water resources


Policies that affect our environment: local, national, and
global


Collecting scientific data to monitor pollution levels


Toxins and hazardous materials, including their transport


Efforts to improve the management of natural resources through
conservation and preservation

This article
began as an outgrowth of two pieces published in Searcher
magazine earlier this year ("The Web as Safety Net: Weather-Related
Catastrophes and Other Natural Disasters," January 2002, pp.
68-83, and "Weather, Climate, and Global Warming: A Web Review,"
February 2002, pp. 28-41). Its organization stems from a presentation
given in November 2000 to a group of lawyers participating in
an Environmental Reinsurance Claims Conference (Manalapan,
FL). Sponsored by Mealey's/LexisNexis, the presentation
 "Sources of Environmental and Asbestos Information on
the Internet (and Elsewhere)"  began with two questions:
What do we want or need to know about the environment? Where
do we go to obtain that information?

Writing
an article about environmental information resources can be
more difficult than you might think. Resources may be consumer/activist-oriented
 that's "activist" in the best sense of the word 
or scientific/research-oriented. General resources may touch
upon some aspect of the environment you would like to include.
On the other hand, you can't possibly mention all the resources
concentrating on even one specialized niche in this vast field.
Information professionals sometimes need to consult more general
resources and, other times, require a more thorough analysis
that only searches of more focused databases can achieve. In
attempting to highlight all classes of resources, this article
has grown far longer than either the author or the editor originally
anticipated.

The Web
sites highlighted within this article are meant to suggest the
types of resources you'd want to look for and how you might
discover them. It is not intended to be an exhaustive listing
of every Web site dealing with the subject (as if that
were even possible). If you conduct environmental research every
day, you should find many of the resources mentioned very familiar.
Hopefully, this article will serve as a reminder for you to
check "What's New" on Web sites you may not have consulted in
a while or to take a more global perspective about the subject.
If you are new to environmental research, we hope the article
will provide a logical path through a multitude of offerings.

Novices
to the environmental research process might begin as they do
all their Web searches  by choosing search engines to
identify Web sites containing environmental news and information.
Everyone has their own favorites, but some indexes and directories
do a better job of identifying and categorizing unique environmental
sites than others. One of the earliest directories of the Internet,
EiNet Galaxy, still organizes environmental resources in the
most logical manner for a novice to understand and appreciate.
The Galaxy[http://www.galaxy.com]Community section breaks down the environment into 10
separate categories: Agriculture, Ecosystems, Endangered Species,
Energy, Environmental Activism, Environmental Health, Environmental
Law, Environmental Libraries, Government, and News.

Popular
search directories may also help identify environmental information
on the Internet:


While Google began as a search engine, the newer directory
service is an excellent place to begin your search for Web
sites covering the environment [http://directory.google.com/Top/Society/Issues/Environment/?tc=1/].
Choose from nearly 40 subtopics and five related categories
(ecology, environmental science, environmental law, property
rights, and environmental effects of economic sanctions on
Iraq). If you find a site that meets your research needs,
take advantage of Google's "similar pages" feature to discover
more.


On the other hand, Lycos categorizes its collection
of environmental resources within its Science section
[http://dir.lycos.com/Science/Environment/].
In addition to its Environmental NewsService[http://ens.lycos.com/index.html],
Lycos features an extensive list of categories to help guide
users to the right set of resources. Categories cover resources
by type (conferences, education, employment, journals, organizations,
etc.) and subjects, such as biodiversity, environmental economics,
environmental monitoring, sustainability, and water resources,
to name but a few (see above).


Environmental Issues are covered in its usual thorough
manner by About.com[http://environment.about.com].
Subject categories range from acid rain and air pollution
to trade/NAFTA/WTO and whales. A word of caution about the
environmental news page [http://environment.about.com/library/weekly/blvoa.htm],
however. When we last checked, it carried some fairly dated
material. For the most current information, you should probably
choose another resource.


While not as good a search engine as Scirus, SciSeek Science
Online: Earth Sciences[http://www.sciseek.com/dir/Earth_Sciences/]
offers links to associations, conferences, data centers, education,
Internet directories, products and services, and publications.

Problems
of dealing with environmental terminology complicates all searching
in this field. The word "environment" is used in a social context,
business, and the field of science. As a stand-alone, it is
imprecise, requiring the browsing of subcategories and the use
of advanced features for linking the term with another to yield
truly useful results (keyword-in-context). For instance, JSTOR's
listing of journals by discipline [http://www.jstor.org/about/field.list.html]
shows an excellent collection of journals covering "ecology,"
but not listed as "environment." Choice of search engines and
sites becomes less important than the ability to effectively
use each, understanding the purpose for which they were designed
and their content. Another caveat for searchers of Web sites:
Many sites may appear current at first glance, but further investigation
can uncover the fact that some sections are not maintained as
well as others.

For advice
on building a reference collection, there is no better source
to consult than the EPA Core List for an Environmental Reference
Collection [http://www.epa.gov/natlibra/core/coretoc.htm].
First published in 1993, the Core List updates regularly, is
impeccably organized by subject, and includes a section on key
environmental journals and publishers/distributors.

Environmental News

While
traditional database vendors do an excellent job collecting
news from around the world, some sites specialize in environmental
news:


EnvironmentalMedia Service Facts and Contacts for Journalists[http://www.ems.org/]
contains articles from major media organizations, grouped
by topic (chemicals and health; climate and air; politics
and culture; international trade and development; land and
transportation; oceans and water; plants and animals). The
site has the "look and feel" of a newspaper, displaying the
leading paragraphs of major articles on the front page (screen),
with links to the entire article embedded in the headlines.


Planet Ark[http://www.planetark.org/index.cfm]
receives feeds from Reuters Daily World Environment News,
stories archived on an issue-by-issue basis, from acid rain
and air pollution to whaling and zoos.


The Earth Times monthlyprint publication is available
through the Web, but the heart of the Web site is the updated
Earth Times Daily Web Edition[http://www.earthtimes.org].
Site contents and links are organized by subject, but remember
that these are reciprocal links.


The World News Network [http://www.wnnetwork.com/]is
best known for its WorldNews.com[http://www.wn.com]
Web site featuring news from around the world. Link out to
its World Environment site [http://www.worldenvironment.com]
and you reach one of the more robust environmental portals
on the Web, with links to news by headline or subject (e.g.,
global warming, animals, forests, oceans, pollution, etc.).
There are sections for "breaking news" and "green politics,"
with links to environmental Web directories. (Note: While
the news portions of the site are quite current, links in
the environmental Web directories may be somewhat dated or
have ceased to exist at all.)


OneWorld is a community of over 1,000 organizations
working for social justice. Browsing by themes [http://www.oneworld.net/themes/topic/],
click on "environment" to retrieve current news collected
from Yahoo!, Worldwatch Institute, Global Exchange, and the
Latin American Center Social Ecology, and many more.


If you have a small screen, you may not find environmental
news on GeoEarth.com [http://earth.geoportals.com/]
at first glance. Simply scroll about halfway down the home
page to view the Environmental News section, which
includes links to CNN  Nature, Environmental News Network,
The Earth Times, GeoTimes, EnviroLink, EDF.org, PlanetArk,
Lycos Environmental News Service, EarthWatch, and Planet Save.
Just below, you'll find Resources (Journals, Magazines,
Links) and a section dedicated to Environmental Professionals.


For general science news, try ScienceDaily[http://www.sciencedaily.com],
featuring news by topic (health and life sciences; physical
and earth sciences; and science and society). To search archived
news, use the "Advanced Search" page.

Identifying
an environmental portal (a site with an extensive list of links
to Web-based environmental resources) might be difficult for
the novice searcher, but not for the information professional.
Targeted to the layperson, Cool Science's Cool Science
Links[http://www.eskimo.com/~billb/amateur/coolsci.html#idx]
is an eclectic collection to interesting science sites, including
museums, magazines, and archives. Acquainting yourself with
some of the sites mentioned on this page may help many of your
own library patrons, particularly young students.

One expects
a great deal from a Web site named Eco-Portal 
The Environmental Sustainability.Info Source: The Gateway
to Information Empowering the Environmental Movement[http://www.eco-portal.com/].
The navigation bar on the right contains links to current articles
concerning the environment. The number of categories (and sites
within each category) is impressive. Each site listing includes
a rating and a feature that lets users of the Eco-Portal rate
the site, though few seem to have taken the time to do so. The
home page looks informal, but the sites included are consistently
of high quality.

The National
Association of Environmental Professionals provides a clearinghouse
for Web resources of interest to its members [http://www.naep.org/RESOURCES/Resources.html],
organized by subject. The Association's annual conference program
typically covers public policy environmental management issues,
including brownfield redevelopment, land and watershed management,
sustainable development, environmental education, urban ecosystem
restoration, "green" transportation, and GIS-based decision-support
tools. Proceedings from past conferences are available on CD-ROM.

While
developed specifically for environmental consultants and remediation
professionals, visitors to the Environmental Professional's
Homepage[http://www.clay.net]
will be led directly to collections of links: governmental agencies,
regulations, legislation, health and safety issues, professional
associations, conference announcements, environmental training
courses. One of the best sections of the site is the EP Virtual
Desktop[http://www.clay.net/ep1.html],
with its collection of "quick references" and "new net links."

Academic
Info: Environmental Studies[http://www.academicinfo.net/environst.html]
provides links to indexes and directories, organizations, resources
available from the EPA, digital libraries, databases, and electronic
journals dedicated to covering and supporting various aspects
of environmental studies. There are subject-specific breakdowns
to Web sites devoted to such topics as environmental law, environmental
history, ozone depletion, animal studies, water resources, and
global warming and climate change, as well as a growing list
of related subjects (e.g., earth sciences education). Should
you find Academic Info a valuable site and wish the endeavor
to continue, you might make a donation (payments made via credit
cards are accepted through PayPal). Contributions go to defray
the cost of maintaining the site, permitting it to remain free
of advertising.

Billed
as "the source for environmental information," Earthsystems[http://www.earthsystems.org]
is "dedicated to the advancement of environmental information
and education to the world community." In addition to carrying
environmental news and offering online purchase of environmentally
sound products and services on its Web site, the organization
"develops, compiles, categorizes, and delivers environmental
education and information resources." Through Earthsystems,
you can connect to the World Wide Web Virtual Library Environment
[http://earthsystems.org/virtuallibrary/vlhome.html]. Search
for sites by subject  a long list of discrete categories
stretching from acid rain to weather  or simply review
the List O' Lists of Environmental Resources, a collection
of environmental indices concerning biodiversity, earth sciences,
energy, forestry, landscape architecture, oceanography, and
sustainable development. This list especially helps to verify
environmental sites most recently updated. (For access to the
WWW Virtual Library of Ecology and Biodiversity, go to
http://conbio.net/vl.)

The National
Council for Science and the Environment[http://www.cnie.org]
"promotes a new crosscutting approach to environmental science
that integrates interdisciplinary research; scientific assessment;
communication of science-based information to decision-makers
and the general public; and environmental education. As a neutral
science-based organization, NCSE promotes science and its relationship
with decision-making only and does not take positions on environmental
issues themselves." The National Library for the Environment
link, made available on this site [http://www.cnie.org/nle/],
permits visitors to do the following:


Search environmental news stories [http://www.cnie.org/news]
on The Daily Planet. Topics range from agriculture
and climate change to sustainable development and water quality.


Link to a number of brief papers on specific "hot topics,"
each of which contains citations (with abstracts) to key papers
(a "bibliography") and related Web sites. This section also
helps users correspond with the editor of the paper/site.
Developed jointly with Cambridge Scientific Abstracts,CSAHot
Topics: Environmental[http://www.csa.com/csa/hottopics/hottopics-main.shtml]
covers such "hot topics" as the Arctic National Wildlife
RefugeDevelopment Issues (August 2001) and Brownfields:
Redevelopment of Contaminated Commercial and Industrial Properties
(August 2000).


CSA's Web site also carries detailed summaries of Environmental
Sciences and PollutionManagement journal titles available
from CSA and access to Environmental RouteNet[http://www.csa.com/routenet/subaccess-new.html],
including searchable CSA abstract databases, a current awareness
service, and reference desk pointers to material available
on the Web. CSA's latest partnership with the Center for Applied
Biodiversity Science (CABS) will yield a new and extensive
database in the area of biodiversity within the next 3 years.


Search for Congressional Research Service Reports [http://www.cnie.org/NLE/CRS/].
When we last checked, there were 1,240 reports on environmental
and related topics.

Readers
of this magazine should especially appreciate the Environmental
Education Programs and Resources page [http://www.cnie.org/education],
with its links to academic programs, resources and class syllabi
for educators, organizations, projects, and jobs and grant opportunities.
While not the only source for such listings, it is extensive
and well maintained.

Academic Institutions

Using
academics to point the way to resources is always a good notion.
Academic departments all over the world have Web sites that
researchers should consult to find coursework, research projects
underway, completed publications, and even experts.

Sponsored
by the North American Association for Environmental Education,
Environmental Education on the Internet [http://eelink.net/]
features professional resources, class resources, and organizations
and projects. (At the time of publication, the ee-calendar was
not active.) Its GeneralEnvironmental Information page
[http://eelink.net/environmentalinformation-general.html]
provides links to Web sites suggested by the public, but thoroughly
vetted by the staff. Environmental Links  General[http://eelink.net/environmentallinks-general.html]
may sound the same, but these linked resources are organized
by topic (air and climate; wildlife and biodiversity; forestry
and agriculture; energy and transportation; waste and toxics;
population; consumption; and urban and environmental justice).


For one example, check out Boston University'sDepartment
of International Relations' Center for Energy and Environmental
Studies and its Adil Najam's Global Environmental Negotiation
and Policy course [http://web.bu.edu/anajam/ir594.html].

Research
from universities with rigorous academic programs in environmental
studies will often have robust Web sites that include research
papers and publications of esteemed faculty members. If you
turn directly to the School of Environmental Studies
at Queens University[http://www.queensu.ca/envst],
however, you could miss the site containing Working Papers and
Policy Insights on the subject. These are issued by the School
of Policy Studies[http://qsilver.queensu.ca/sps/publications/pub.shtml].
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology also has a Web site
featuring its projects, people, publications, and partners.
Though MIT's Technology, Business, and Environment
Program[http://tbe.mit.edu]
has all but disappeared from view, its Environmental Technology
and Public Policy Program is now prominently featured on
the university's Web site [http://web.mit.edu/dusp/etpp].

Some business
schools provide access to case studies online and, while usually
intended for management training, environmental concerns are
often the subject of business cases. COLIS  European
Case Clearing House gives you access to a wide range in
one fell swoop [http://www.ecch.cranfield.ac.uk],
including Harvard Business School, Darden, IMD, INSEAD, MIT/Sloan
Management Review, Western Ontario/Ivey, and IESE Publishing.
Individual schools may also be consulted:


Knowledge@Wharton[http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu]
presents academic research in a different way than many other
universities. Its magazine-type format can be searched for
articles concerning the environment, though the online publication
does not focus on this topic.

With the
disappearance of Contentville, searching for theses and
dissertations via the Web would appear to be limited. However,
a search of electronic theses and dissertations by "subject
= environment" does yield hits on the Networked Digital Library
of Theses andDissertations[http://www.ndltd.org/browse.html].
Until a federated search is possible, you will have to search
two catalogs. Be forewarned: the search engine is quite imprecise,
yielding many false hits on simple, seemingly straightforward
searches, so construct your search string carefully.

You can
search dissertations in the Web-based version of UMI's
Dissertation Abstracts database for the degree year 2001
or 2002 via the Web [http://wwwlib.umi.com/dissertations/]
and order any thesis that appeals to you through Dissertation
Express[http://wwwlib.umi.com/dxweb/].
There are 66,115 indexed as "earth and environmental sciences,"
and you can narrow your search further by keyword (e.g., "pollution"
yielded 163 titles). UMICurrent Research[http://wwwlib.umi.com/cresearch/],
however, requires some work before it is truly useful. First,
the title of the database may mislead searchers, as the database
covers dissertations dating from 1996, but not graduate
research currently underway at the participating institutions,
as the home page states. The search mechanism makes it easy
to choose subsets of the database to search (by institution),
but offers no global searching. Would it not be better to fold
the contents into the Web-based Dissertation Abstract product?
And would it not be simply grand if a database of ongoing research
being conducted at academic institutions were created? One way
to approach this might be to search FINDAPhD[http://www.findaphd.com/indexmain.htm],
which includes "earth sciences" as a discipline. (Don't let
the .com fool you; the search is limited to research projects
underway in the U.K.)

To find
additional "current research," you may have to look at active
discussion groups with academics participating. Diane Kovac's
excellent Directory of Scholarly and Professional e-Conferences[http://www.kovacs.com/directory/]
is back online now, identifying 70 monitored discussion groups
concerning the environment. A similar service is offered in
the U.K.: the National Academic Mailing List Service 
Land Use and Environment[http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/category/Land_Use_and_Environment.html].
Other, more general discussion group search mechanisms exist,
but those who participate can be scholars or "just us" regular
folks interested in the environmental topic at-hand.


Perhaps the least known of the group, MessageKing[http://www.messageking.com],
searches message boards and forums for keywords or phrases.

The Scholarly
Societies Project has 83 listings of electronic resources
for environmental sciences
[http://www.scholarly-societies.org/envirsci_soc.html],
though the groups listed range widely, including such topics
as crop protection, astronomy, geology, and energy. You'll have
to link to each and then determine where on the site to find
the type of material you need. A better choice might be Sources
and Experts[http://www.ibiblio.org/slanews/internet/experts.html].
Simply browse by subject to find the 11 institutes and academic
centers concerned with environmental science. For a directory
of experts that limits itself to ecology and environmental sciences,
search the Earth's Environmental Experts (3E) Database[http://ww.3eltd.com].
Originating in the U.K., the database's scope is global, and
you can limit searches by country. Experts, including expert
witnesses, specialize in ecology, pollution, waste, environment,
weather and climate, and fisheries.

Identifying
experts in any subject area can be tricky, but there are several
sites on the Web that can help:


Designed to enable the news media to "quickly and easily secure
authoritative analysis, insights and commentary for news and
feature stories from leading academic and industry experts,"
ExpertSource[http://www.businesswire.com/expertsource/]
changes frequently, adding new content coverage each week.
It may run a few weeks behind, but this should not stop you
from reviewing the listings from time to time.


ExpertPages.com, a leading directory of expert witnesses
and consultants, contains an extensive list of detailed chemical
and environmental subjects for which the site has identified
expert witnesses [http://www.expertpages.com/chemical_and_environmental.htm].
The process for inclusion in this directory is not particularly
rigorous, but it is a place to start. (For a better expert
witness directory, try the new service offered through the
Defense Research Institute at http://www.juritas.com/search/home_dri.asp.)

Conferences
provide an additional venue for networking with colleagues and
identifying experts. In addition to the portals listed above
that have a calendar of events, other conference sites track
environmental meetings:


The German Environmental Information Network[http://www.gein.de/en/calConferences.html]
with a calendar of conferences by year (1990-present) and
decade (1950-1980). Coverage of conferences and conventions
held during that time is global, and brief summaries of the
agenda are available.

Academic Librariesand Services

Libraries
that support academic study in the environmental sciences also
offer Web access. You can even use some of the tools academic
librarians employ to keep on top of new resources introduced
throughout the year. In the area of environmental sciences,
one of the most important is the Social Science Information
Gateway's Environmental and Geography Section, edited
by Phil Cross of the University of Bristol. The Environmental
Sciences and Issues Web page [http://www.sosig.ac.uk/environmental_sciences_and_issues/]
is divided into sections containing links to articles/papers/reports
(collections and individual); bibliographies; bibliographic
databases; books; companies; data; educational materials; governmental
bodies; journals; mailing lists/discussion groups; news; organizations/societies;
research projects/centers; and resource guides.

A keyword
search of the Internet Scout ProjectArchives[http://scout.cs.wisc.edu/index.html]
can also prove useful. Though not specific to the environment,
a subscription to one or more of the NSDL Scout Reports
(Life Sciences, Physical Sciences, or Math, Engineering and
Technology) will provide biweekly e-mailed newsletters of newly
discovered resources [http://scout.cs.wisc.edu/nsdl-reports/].
It's a convenient way for librarians (and others) to stay informed
as to valuable online and Web-based resources in the environmental
sciences, as what is covered by these reports can prove most
helpful.

Librarians
around the world refer to the BUBL service developed and maintained
at Strathclyde University. Providing an effective route to information
resources across disciplines,the BUBLLink Catalogue
of Selected Internet Resources: Environment[http://link.bubl.ac.uk/environment]
consists of nine categories: General Resources, Journals and
Magazines, National and International Centres, Societies and
Pressure Groups, Science and Research, Forest Lands, General
Energy Resources, Nuclear Energy, and Renewable Energy Resources.
Each category includes at least five relevant resources from
around the world.

While
no longer actively maintained, the organization of environmental
resource listings on the Argus Clearinghouse[http://www.clearinghouse.net/cgi-bin/chadmin/viewcat/Environment?kywd++]
can be enormously helpful (Ecology, Environmental Activism,
Environmental Law, Sustainable Development, and Waste Management).
Since the resources selected for inclusion in the Clearinghouse
were of extremely high quality, most remain active and useful;
what's missing are the newer additions to the Web.

You may
have a favorite university library you like to consult, and
there are other universities so well known that their virtual
libraries are routinely viewed for suggested resources no matter
what the subject area. For collections of environmental resources,
several universities you might not know about do a particularly
good job of collecting environmental resources and building
links:


Best Environmental Resources Directories[http://www.ulb.ac.be/ceese/meta/cds.html]
consists of a rather lengthy set of links listed alphabetically.
What is useful, however, is the new section. Resources
chosen for inclusion reflect the global nature of the site.


Environmental Sites on the Internet [http://www.lib.kth/se/~lg/envsite.htm]
maintains an up-to-date collection of conferences, directories,
general environmental sites, guides, Internet tools and engines,
journals, and newsletters. The in-depth subject index is searchable
and links to useful resources.

Unique
among these entries is the New Zealand Digital Library Project's
World EnvironmentLibrary
[http://www.nzdl.org/cgi-bin/library?a=p&p=about&c=envl].
Developed in December 1999 and searchable by words (to the chapter
and even paragraph level), title, subject, or organization,
the Library "contains 400 publications (45,000 pages) of ideas
and solutions in the fields of Agriculture, Biodiversity, Climate
Change, Environmental Impact Assessment, Energy, Health, Natural
Resources, Policy, Sustainable Development, Waste Management,
and Water."

Academic
libraries are certainly not the only institutions open to visitors.
Many museums and public libraries have created exhibitions and
special Web pages highlighting environmental issues. The Internet
Public LibraryAssociations on the Net's [http://www.ipl.org/ref/AON/]Science andTechnology section contains links to authoritative
listings of Earth Sciences associations, as well as Environmental
Sciences and Ecology. Florida's Lake County LibrarySystem
is a good end-user site, with a diverse set of links to popular
environmental/ecology resources designed for educational purposes
[http://www.lakeline.lib.fl.us/nature.htm].

Traditional
publishers and database vendors specializing in environmental
coverage should always be consulted, whether via the Internet
or otherwise:


LexisNexis Environment Universe[http://www.lexisnexis.com/academic/1univ/envir/default.htm]
is a subset of its academic offering. Here you can search
newspapers and journals, case law and regulatory decisions
regarding agriculture; air pollution; energy; toxicology;
land use and pollution; water pollution; wildlife/biodiversity;
population/sustainable development; global warming; and waste
management.


Croner CCHWebcentre[http://www.environment-centre.net/
cgi-bin/croner/jsp/CronerHomeEnvironmentCentre.do]
will not only allow you to review the entire line of Croner/CCH
publications in its product catalog, but also access "environmental
law, management, and training for U.K. business." Registration
is free and customizable to your interests. Information "zones"
include air pollution; contaminated land; energy management;
environmental management systems; substances in the environment;
waste management; and water pollution. New legislation and
fines imposed are listed on the home page for easy viewing.
An active discussion forum is featured on this as well as
other Croner Web Centres.


Browse the Elsevier Science [http://www.elsevier.com/inca/tree/?key=SSAG]Environmental sciences subject category to find journals,
online journals, books and book series, major reference works,
dictionaries, newsletters, and electronic products offered
by the publisher. If you prefer, you can limit your search
to Ecology and conservation or Environmental technology,
policy and management.


If you do not have a subscription to Elsevier's Science
Direct[http://www.sciencedirect.com],
you can log on as a guest to view the environmental science
journals available. These are categorized by subject: ecological
modelling (sic), ecology, environmental chemistry, environmental
engineering, global and planetary change, health and toxicology,
management/monitoring/policy/law, nature/landscape conservation,
pollution, waste management/disposal, and water science and
technology.


The Electronic Green Journal[http://egj.lib.uidaho.edu/index.html]
"provides peer-reviewed articles, book reviews, news and information
on current printed and electronic sources concerning international
environmental topics."


Environmental News Network [http://www.enn.com]
serves as an education tool for the public regarding environmental
issues. The site attempts to present all sides of a controversial
issue in order to stimulate community response.


Oriented to the general public, E: The Environmental Magazine[http://www.emagazine.com]
presents fewer "hard science" stories, but its coverage of
pollution, for instance, is often informative.

When
searching for books dealing with the environment, don't limit
your search to the major publisher Web sites (e.g., Van Nostrand
Reinhold, John Wiley, McGraw-Hill, etc.).


CRC Press[http://www.crcpress.com/shopping_cart/
categories/categories_products.asp?parent_id=90]
has a long list of titles from Lewis Publishers and
St. Lucie Press, all devoted to environmental sciences.
The general subject listing further breaks down to cover environmental
and ecological modelling, environmental engineering, environmental
chemistry and toxicology, risk assessment and management,
to name but a few topics with extensive lists of titles available.
In addition to its book publishing unit, CRC publishes several
excellent journals concerning environmental science, including
Human and Ecological Risk Assessment and Environmental
Claims Journal.


Government Institutes[http://www.govinst.com]
offers training courses on environmental health and safety
and publications on such topics as environmental law, pollution
prevention, environmental audit protocols, RCRA hazardous
waste, toxic substances, underground storage tank management,
and environmental management. These directories and reference
works include several Guides to the Internet (e.g.,
Chemical, Environment, Safety and Health), which can be of
enormous assistance to those just beginning their research
in the field.

To identify
electronic journals, start by searching the Electronic Journal
Miner
[http://ejournal.coalliance.org/searcher.cfm].
Browse by subject to discover the 116 journals online covering
aspects of the environment; search by keyword to uncover 274
journals. (Don't forget to use related terms, such as "earth
sciences," when searching by subject.) In a very basic and unstructured
search, 71 journals included "environment" in the title, 51
of which were peer-reviewed and 27 free. Ingenta'sSubject
Area Resources:Earth and Environmental Sciences[http://www.ingenta.com]
segments 342 journal titles into six major categories: ecology,
geography, geology, geophysics and geomagnetism, meteorology
and climatology, and oceanography.

To keep
track of new e-journals, use American NewJour[http://gort.ucsd.edu/newjour].
You can always review the entire list (A­Z), presently consisting
of 11,578 titles, but regularly checking the "Recent Releases"
may be easier to manage. (Today, there are 143 titles listed
here, added between 1/27/2002 and 3/13/2002, including Environmental
Monitoring andAssessment, Environmental Lawyer, Environmental
Conservation, Environmental EducationResearch, Environmental
and Resource Economics, Environment, Development and
Sustainability. Descriptions for each title are accompanied
by links to the publisher's Web site and often directly to the
current issue's contents.)

Should
you find an article or document you cannot view in full text,
contact the CanadaInstitute for Scientific and Technical
Information[http://www.nrc.ca/cisti/cisti_e.shtml].
Its comprehensive collection and strategic partnerships have
created a reliable and cost-efficient document delivery service.

Enviro-Science
e-Print/Pre-Print Service[http://esn.osti.gov/enviroscience.html]
is a multi-agency project of the Department of Energy'sEnvironmental
Management Science Program. "It uses the Environmental Information
Management System to access manuscripts of journal articles
and book chapters, conference papers, presentations, posters,
and selected technical reports in environmental management science."
E-Print partners include the Department of Defense/DTIC and
the Environmental Strategic Technologies Certification Program;
Department of Energy/OSTI; Environmental Protection Agency/ORD;
and the Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program.

For those
concerned about academic excellence and declining information
literacy, you might want to look at the material on the environment
available from the Questia library [http://www.questia.com].
The majority of articles retrieved through a simple search appeared
a bit dated, but right on target. (There are 1,632 books currently
available on the subject through Questia.)

Barbie
E. Keiser is an information resources management consultant
located in New York City [barbieelene@att.net].